Refrigerating apparatus



l Sept. 21, "1943s M. .1..GouLoozE A 2,329,754

` REFRIGERTING' PPAR'IUS Filed May 9, 1941 2 sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

INVETOR Patented Sept. v2l, 1943 2,329,754 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Martin J. Goulooze, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Application May 9, 1941, serial No. 392.613

(ci. 22o-9) 1 Claim.

The present inventionV pertains to a refrigeraf tion apparatus and more particularly toA an improved refrigerator cabinet construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a breaker strip for interconnectively joining the edges vof the inner and outer wall of a refrigerator cabinet which is readily attached by use of resilient members.

It is another object of the presentvinvention to provide an improved breaker strip construction which is readily attachable Without the aid of tools.

It is a further object' of the present invention to provide a cabinet construction whereby the breaker strip forms a portion of the front wall of the cabinet to extend peripherally adjacent to a door opening.

The invention itself, however, both as to its' organization, and its operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational of a refrigerator cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the fastening means used in the invention shown before assembly to the breaker strip shown in fragmentary cross section therefrom;I

Figs. 4 through 8 are fragmentary cross sectional views of various modified arrangements embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary'elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet with'parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line Ill-l of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line l l-l I of Fig. 9.

Shown in the drawings is a refrigerator cabinet 2B having a door 22. The cabinet is formed of an outer sheet metal casing or shell 24 and an inner sheet metal shell, casing or liner 26. Suitable insulation -21 is interposed between the shells 24 and 26.

The outer casing 24 forms the sides, top and, if desired, the rear wall c; the refrigerator. It is bent at a marginal distance from its front edge at'rlght angles to the side portion to provide a portion 21 forming the front wall of the refrigerator cabinet. The face portion 21 is formed with extended metal which is doubled upon the rearwardly adjacent to the sidewall of the casing a determinable distance upon which it is bent at right angles forming a rear portion 29 substantially parallel to the face portion 21. The rear portion 29 forms with the double face portion a recess or pocket 30. By this form of construction the front edge or front wall is reinforceably strengthened by being formed of double thickness.

The inner liner 26 which forms the walls of a food storage compartmentV 32 is marginally bent adjacent the door opening 34 to provide a laterally extended flange 36. The outer edge portion of the ange 36 is offset, as at 31. The flange 36 is substantially in parallel planular alignment with the face portion 21 of the outer shell with their edges terminating a substantial distance apart. Y

Extending from the face portion 21 to the lateral iiange 36 is a breaker strip 40 confined on one edge thereof to the pockerl 3U and clamped on the other edge to the ange 36. The breaker strip may be made of plastic, fibrous material, Bakelite or any suitable non-hygroscopic, nonmetallic material. positioned along the other vside of the cabinet on the front Wall adjacent the opening 34 thereof, and immediately above the 'food storage compartment at the top of the cabinet, and also immediately below the food storage compartment. Since the principle of attaching the breaker strip 40 to thecabinet and the principle of attaching the other breaker strips are the same, l have only shown in detail the breaker strip 4U and the way it is attached to the cabinet.

. Preferably the breaker strip 4U is made of relatively thin material. 'lo snugly iit lan edge oi' the breaker strip 4u in the pocket 3Ul a filler pad 4l is secured by adhesive to the rear portion zu so as to hold tne breaker strip in Iiush Contact to the portion 29. Trie opposite edge oi tne breaker strip is held in nusii contact to tne lateral iiange 36 by means or snaps 42 carried by the breaker strip which are adapted to be received in openings 44 formed in the onset portion 31 of the flange 36. The snap 42 isformed with a base 46 from which is formed lupwardly extending opposed resilient arms 41. The arms 41 are curved outwardly in opposed relation a greater portion' of their length with the Aends turned to extend towards each other. The ends serve to guide the resilient arms 41 into the opening 44 and extend beyond the offset portion 31 with the curved section frictionally locking within the Similar breaker strips arethereby locking the caption of the snaps 42.

opening. The resilient arms 41 are tensioned to move outwardly in opposite relation.

The snap 42 is aixed to the breaker strip by first bending the base portion 46 into a modified V-form so as to draw inwardly the ends of the base. The snap is then placed so that the base is received in recess 50 which is formed in the rear side of the breaker strip. By pressing downwardly along the crease or bend, so as to flatten the base, the ends will move outwardly into the bevel edge portion 5| of the recess snap 'against withdrawal. By this arrangement any desired number of snaps may be secured at certain intervals to the breaker strip. Thus the breaker strip can be easily'and quickly affixed into position by nrst insertion of one edge into binding engagement in the pocket 30 and the opposite edge moved towards the ange 36. The snaps locking this edge to the iiange 36.

Any door of suitable construction may be used with the cabinet. As shown in the drawings, there is provided a door 22 having an outer metallic shell 54 and an inner panel 56. The inner panel 56 is formed of plastic, fibrous material, or other low heat conducting material. Insulation 51 is interposed between the shell and panel. l

Secured to the door is a gasket 59 that extends around its perimeter and adapted for engagement with the front part 21 of the cabinet. The gasket is secured by a tongue which lies beneath the inner panel by means of screw 60 v which also secures the panel tothe shell 54. The screw head 60 is covered by overlapping the gasket thereon. The door gasket 59 is arranged to contact the front part of the cabinet to form a seal so as to prevent air entering the food storage compartment.

The food storage compartment 32 is cooled by means of a refrigerating system (not shown).

In Fig. 4 there is shown a u -shaped member 10 adapted to embrace opposite sides of the rearwardly directed portion 12 of the flange 1'3. The member 10 is provided with an outwardly bent portion 15 having openings 16 for the re- The member10 is xedlyattached to the flange 'I3 .to provide means for readily attaching the breaker strip without the arms 41 coming into contact with the enamelled portion of theliner. l

In Fig. 5 a. tie bar 90 formed of insulation material is secured from the ilange 36 into the pocket 30 and secured by screw 92 to the rear portion 29 of the outer shell or casing of the cabinet. The tie bar 90 further serves to prevent lateral movement of the liner relative to the outer shell. A` breaker strip 94 extends across the front wall over the tie bar and is similarly secured as described in the preferred form.' Y

In Fig. 6 a snap comprising a female portion |00 is secured in the flange` oftheliner and'is adapted to receive the male portion |02 carried by the breaker strip |04. The face portion of the breaker strip is covered by a relatively thin gauge metallic 'member |06 having low heat conductivity, such as stainless steel or the like.

In Fig. 7 the breaker strip ||0 is provided with a rearwardly extending block ||2 provided with a lip .|14 adapted to be engaged by the looped section ||5 of a spring men-:ier ||6 securedly aixed to ange ||1 of the liner. It will be noted that one edge of the breaker strip ||0 is received in a pocket ||9 formed by a second member |20 which is'secured by weld to the rear side of the face portion |2| of the outer shell lof the cabinet;

In Fig. 8 the outer shell |30 is turned inwardly to provide a face portion |32 whose marginal edge is offset in steps |34 and |35. A breaker strip |36 extends ilush from the face portion |32 over into flush contact against the ange |39 of the liner |40. One edge of the breaker strip |36 is secured to the outer shell by a bead |42 adapted to overlie the edge be tween the breaker strip and face portion |32. The bead |42 is provided with rearwardly extendingfportions of which portion |45 is formed into a hook to engageably lock over the step |35. The opposite edge of the breaker strip is frictionally secured by means of a ilnishing strip .|41 that extends around the edge of the breaker strip and rearwardly along its rear side to be formedl into a triangularly shaped lip projection |49 adapted to be engaged by looped end |50 of a spring member |5| securedly afiixed to the offset portion of ange |39.

In Figs. 9 to 1 1 the outer shell and liner are similarly formed as shownand described for the preferred form. The outer shell j'and liner are secured in spatial relation by their flanges by the tie bars and |6| spaced on opposite sides of the anges and secured by screws |62. A breaker strip |64 extends from the pocket formed in the outer shell to the face of flange formed from the liner. The breaker strip is secured by snaps having a female portion |60 afiixed in the flange of the liner and a male portion head of the male portion |10 is concealed within a bead |12 that extends longitudinally along the breaker strip.

Each of the embodiments shown in Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive may be used in cabinet construction of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While I have shown and described the preferred forms of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details as shown but wish to avail myself of such variations and modincations as may come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A refrigerator cabinet construction comprising inner and outer metallic walls, the edges of said walls terminating in spaced apart opposed relation, the edge of .said outer wall having a pocket formed rearwardly of its .face portion, a breaker strip having one edge vextending into said pocket and the-other edge thereof extending over the edge of the inner wall, va second breaker strip extending across the front face of the first breaker strip with one edge located in said pocket and the opposite'edge extending and means tending through an opening in therst named breaker strip and an opening in said innerwall for locking said breaker strips to said inner wall.

. MARTIN J. GOULOOZE.

|10 carried by the breaker strip. The 

